Bok Choy and Ginger-Sesame Udon Noodles

Ah, a lovely blurry phone pic.

Not sure how I picked it, but the Bok Choy and Ginger-Sesame Udon Noodles (p238) was one of the first recipes I marked. I bought the bok choy about a week ago and finally got around to making it. The other ingredients are pantry/fridge staples for the most part, except perhaps the tahini and mirin for those who don't normally keep such items on hand.

Once the noodles are done this recipe comes together quickly. In fact, it's one of many in the book marked with an "F" for fast. Prepare the bok choy, mix the sauce, saute the shallots, ginger, and red pepper, toss everything together, and you've a complete meal ready to go in about 20 minutes. The only changes I made were to use minced jarred ginger instead of fresh, and once I removed a serving for the grandmother, I tripled or so the amount of red pepper.

Overall, this is an easy and quick entree with a really nice flavor. I would prefer more vegetables though, and this dish could certainly handle some carrots, peas, broccoli, or another favorite veggie. A couple of tips: Do NOT overcook your bok choy. It can go from just right to too mushy very quickly, so keep an eye out for that, and I would go so far as to suggest either not pre-cooking it at all or steaming for no more than a minute. But I like my bok choy a little on the crisp side. Also, use a wok in the final step. The texture of the noodles would have been infinitely better (and less gluten-y) had I not used a regular skillet. I'll definitely be making this again, and next time I won't be too lazy to take out the wok!

--The Divine Miss V